1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thermocouple systems that can be attached to a container to measure the temperature of the material held within that container. More particularly, the present invention relates to the thermocouple systems that are deigned to measure the temperature of material within a container without directly contacting that material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture and processing of pharmaceutical products, dairy products and other materials that require a sanitary processing environment, it is common for materials to be transported in stainless steel containers. Once in a processing plant, pharmaceutical solutions are commonly pumped between points using a network of fixed pipes. To simplify processing, it is common for the containers and the pipes to have similarly shaped flanged openings. In this manner, containers can be readily joined to pipes and vise versa so that materials can be readily transferred between mobile containers and stationary piping.
Containers used in the pharmaceutical industry vary widely in shape, size and volume. However, one common aspect of these containers is that they are commonly manufactured from stainless steel. In this manner, the containers can be sterilized in an autoclave if ever used to hold bio-hazardous or bio-active material.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art container 10 and a prior art end cap 12 for that container 10. The container 10 has a neck that extends from the top of the container 10. The neck terminates with a radial flange 14. The shown container 10 serves to exemplify containers commonly used to transport samples in the pharmaceutical industry. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the radial flange 14 is disposed around the open top end 16 of the container""s neck. A groove 18 is disposed on the top surface 16 of the flange 14, wherein the groove 18 is shaped to retain part of a gasket 20. The bottom surface 22 of the flange 14 is beveled, thereby providing the flange 14 with a tapered shape.
The end cap 12 shown typifies the type of cap currently used to seal pharmaceutical containers and pharmaceutical piping. The end cap 12 is a solid disk of stainless steel. A groove 24 is formed on the bottom surface of the end cap 12. The groove 24 on the end cap 12 aligns with the groove 18 on the flange 14 of the container 10. A section 26 of the top surface of the cap near the peripheral edge is beveled at the same angle as is the bottom surface 22 of the flange 14 on the container 10.
A gasket 20 is placed between the end cap 12 and the container 10. The gasket 20 fits within the grooves 24, 18 on the bottom of the end cap 12 and the top of the container 10, respectively. A pipe clamp (not shown) is then used to bias the end cap 12 against the container 10. Such pipe clamps are exemplified by co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/027,757 to Lin, entitled Spring Biased Clamping Device For Flanged Connections. The pipe clamp compresses the gasket 20 between the end cap 12 and the container 10, thereby making a hermetic seal. Since neither the container 10 nor the end cap 12 contain threads, there are few places for contaminants to hide. Accordingly, both elements are readily cleaned and sterilized using a laboratory autoclave.
Because containers, such as that shown in FIG. 1, are often used to hold pharmaceutical products, such containers often hold sterile or bio-active material. Accordingly, it is not desirable for the materials to be contaminated during storage or transport by the opening of the container. In such scenarios, the containers are not opened to measure the temperature of their contents. Rather, the temperature of the containers"" contents is often estimated by measuring the temperature of the exterior of the container. Such temperature measuring techniques are non-obtrusive to the container but do not give a highly accurate reading of the temperature within the container.
Specialized containers do exist where thermocouples are built into the internal structure of the container. Such containers tend to be significantly more expensive than ordinary containers. Furthermore, the systems used to mount the thermocouples in place commonly contain bolts and gaskets. Accordingly, it takes a significant amount of time and labor to remove the thermocouple for repairs or for when the container needs to be sterilized in an autoclave.
A need therefore exists for an improved system for introducing a thermocouple into a container without contaminating the contents of the container, wherein the system is inexpensive and can be retroactively added to most any existing container. Such a need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
The present invention is a thermocouple assembly that is used to monitor the temperature of materials held within a container that has a flanged access port. The assembly includes a thermocouple probe having a base and a shaft that extends from the base. The thermocouple probe can be connected to a remote microprocessor or can contain its own integral microprocessor. A well structure is provided for selectively connecting the thermocouple probe to the container. The well structure contains a platform that is adapted to connect to the flanged access port of the container. A tube extends from one side of the platform and a connector mechanism that extends from the opposite side of the platform.
The thermocouple probe can be removably placed into the well structure so that said shaft of said thermocouple probe passes into the tube of the well structure. Once fully advanced into the well structure, the connector mechanism on the well structure engages the base of the thermocouple probe, thereby retaining the thermocouple probe within the well structure. The well structure thereby serves as an interface that enables the thermocouple probe to attach to the container, while protecting the contents of the container from contamination.